Saturday, February 28, 2015

Charcoal Brings Barbecue, Bacon and Bourbon to Silver Lake

It's been a while since the Silver Lake area has seen a real barbecue restaurant. For a while in the late 2000s, there was Territory BBQ on Hoover, where you could buy vinyl and hang out on a funky patio, then there was the short-lived BBQ at Atwater Crossing. Other than the very worthy Big Mista's at the Atwater Farmer's Market, that's pretty much been it for the past decade. Charcoal aims to fix that with chef Jeremy Zimmerman and a big 'ol smoker hauled all the way from Arizona. Here's some first impressions:

Bucket o' bacon and pickles

What:Charcoalin the former Lago d'Argento Pizza spotWhere: 2611 N. Hyperion Ave., 323-300-5500Why: You've a hankering for some smoky meats with a stiff cocktail or a craft beer and Bludso's is too far to drive.

toast your own s'mores

The goods: Dry-rubbed, Kansas City style smoked meats include pork ribs, brisket, sausages, pulled pork and the appetizer bucket o'bacon. Sides include a tartly-refreshing coleslaw, mac 'n cheese, cake-like cornbread, Brussels sprouts and potato salad. The kids menu and make your own s'mores dessert should be a hit with neighborhood families. The look: Barbarella Bar and its adjoining restaurant space have always been saddled with an odd-shaped room, but they've made the most of it. Charcoal features a large central table with barstool seats, lots of stacked wood to prove the cue is real and blackboard walls. The sidewalk outside is unfortunately a bit narrow and the street too busy to make the outdoor tables a comfy spot.